God’s best

The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. (Proverbs 20:7)

When it seems like the world has gone crazy, anchor yourself to integrity, for it is a key to God’s best.  Even when you blow it, God can give you another change and bring you through.  God wants you to have integrity in every area, because integrity pays big dividends.  Don’t just go with the flow.  Choose integrity and avoid the heart-wrenching consequences.

Integrity, or the lack of it, really shows up when you are under pressure.  When the pressure is on, are you going to hold on to your anchor of integrity?  Even if you’ve blown it and have not shown integrity at times, there’s hope.  Three of the Bible’s greatest men—Abraham, Jacob, and Job—became men of integrity after acting just the opposite.

• Abraham “the Liar”: Out of fear, Abraham lied two times, saying Sarah was his sister instead of his wife.
• Jacob “the Cheater”: Jacob deceived his brother and his father. He manipulated his brother, Esau, into selling his birthright for a bowl of stew.  Later, Jacob impersonated his brother to get all his father’s blessings.
• Job “the Blamer”: Job had an incredible number of trials. He became bitter with God and his friends and wished he had never been born.  He felt like God had deserted him.

Under pressure, each of these men blew it.  Yet each one made a quantum leap and developed integrity.  God saw potential in these men of failed integrity, and He sees potential in you, too!

• God told Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice (Genesis 22), and he obeyed. God called Abraham a “man of faith.”
• Following his wrestling match with a man, God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” and even named the nation of Israel after him (Genesis 32:28).
• God Himself confronted Job and told him. “You are talking wrong, thinking wrong, and acting wrong. Look to me.” Job repented, and God restored double everything he’d lost (See Job 38-42).

How did these men make such a quantum leap of change?  They pursued God.  The pursuit of godly integrity is well worth it.

• Integrity will preserve you: “Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You” (Psalm 25:20-21).
• Integrity will uphold you: “You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever” (Psalm 41:12).
• Integrity preserves your children: “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him” (Proverbs 20:7).

If God could bring Abraham, Jacob, and Job through their messes, He will bring you through, too.  Ask Jesus to help you learn integrity.  Begin to study “integrity” in God’s Word.  Like Abraham, Jacob, and Job, integrity can be your anchor.